The Father Son Theory
by kellirobinlover
Summary: Possible daddy!Bats fluff. What happens when Batman accidentally hurts Robin while out in a mission to get Penguin? Simple: Kick some butt then go home and- wait, what's Alfred hiding?
1. Penguin's Plan

**Okay well, a while ago I got a request from KTrevo for some Daddy!Bats fluff. I gotta admit, this one was seriously hard to come up with and it took me about a month to come up with this. Hope you like it!**

Gotham 1:23 am

The night was dark, and a cold wind brushed the faces of the present company. Batman and Robin. The two faceless vigilantes stood on the top of Wayne Enterprises, tallest building in all of Gotham. The streets were almost empty at this time of morning, except for a few troublemakers and hookers. When it wasn't so crime infested and dirty, Gotham was actually a beautiful place. Twinkling lights, cool night breeze, and the people that lived in it. Despite all of the flaws, there was hope for Gotham, no matter what anyone said. "I could get used to this..." Robin said thoughtfully, fully engulfed in the beauty of the run-down town.

"Too bad you never will. Just got an alert from the Commissioner that Penguin just escaped from Gotham." Batman grunted.

As much as he liked the view, Batman would never have the same love for this place. It was the darkness that nipped at his soul, that no matter how much his inner happiness wanted to shine through, this cold place would extinguish the light. Just because he worked to make it a better area, he only did it for the well-being of future generations; such as Robin's. Batman was only a way that Bruce could vent out his anger but never actually serving his own sanity.

Upon entering the abandoned warehouse, Robin wrapped his cape around him so that he could blend in with the surrounding area. It looked as if the warehouse hadn't been used for years. The windows all had grimy sheets over them and broken glass. Wherever there was wood it was splintering and rotten. Piles of who knows what trashed the corners of each room, and the only light came from their flashlights. The Dynamic Duo soon reached one door in the very back of the structure, made of sound-proof steel except where a small beam of light flooded out of the bottom. Robin crouched down and placed a small bat-shaped device on the floor just under the door and clicked his comm link to listen in.

"I'm telling you Pengy, the Bat is gonna find us sooner or later. I say we get the heck outta this dump before he drags our butts straight back to Arkham."

"Oh be quiet! As soon as we get the loot we'll be taking a one-way train straight to Star City." Penguin's irritating voice rambled.

"Whatever boss. What are we after anyway?"

"A rare parrot that's docking as a guest at Gotham Academy. I hear its worth about $400,000 and counting. Sure would be a shame to keep that locked up... especially when it could join my collection."

Robin and Batman shared a knowing glance with each other; it was pretty typical for Penguin to be going after something so insignificant. It was part of what made him so unique, someone you would only find in Gotham. "Come on men! Its time to snatch that winged beauty!"

Robin and Batman quickly melted into the shadows just as Penguin burst through the huge door. He wore the same attire as always; top hat, trench coat, cheesy eye glass and umbrella, plus an old fashioned pipe dangling from his lips. The black smoke curled disgustingly out of it, causing many of his goons to cough noisily on the way out. "Quiet you fools! If record shows right, the Bats is probably anticipating where we are at this very moment. One slight mess up, and he might catch us just as fast as we got out."

They continued on their journey through the house, completely aware that Batman and Robin already knew where they were and was, and in fact, in the same room. Penguin went into the main room, and the two vigilantes decided to stay back a couple rooms ago just to make sure that they couldn't sense their presence. Penguin may be a bit of a crazy, but he isn't stupid.

He's actually smarter than they gave him credit for. The whole scene that they had just witnessed was a show. They knew they were there. They knew they were being watched. And everything that had just happened was a lie. Star City and the hyacinth macaw had nothing to do with Penguin's plan.

And they had just drifted right into his hands, and also out of ear-shot.

"Now I don't want any signs that we were ever here, burn the place to the ground! Make sure they never make it out alive!"

And the goons began to torch the remnants of the warehouse.

**So in case anyone got a little confused, Penguin knew that they were there the whole time. He was able to anticipate that Batman and Robin were in there the whole entire time because we all know that Bats tends to go with the same game plan a lot... sneak in, find out the plan, follow them out, catch them. SO... Penguin thought," Hey, he's probably in there! Lets burn down the building!" So I hope you guys keep checking in because I've got some great ideas of where to go with this story. Please review! If you have any suggestions for the story PM me, okay?**

**EDIT: I just edited this chapter after discovering very many plot holes in it. So no, Star City and the bird are no longer a part of this story because I realized that this would be very boring had they been included. Well, I guess you'll just have to see how it comes in later though... Review?**


	2. Miscalculated Explosion

The man stepped back and viewed the damage he had done. It would do for now, and at least stop Batman from following them while they got the rest of the preparations done. Pivoting on his right heel, he strolled out of the room- smoke and fire splaying on the walls behind him.

* * *

><p>"Do you smell... smoke?" Robin asked uncertainly, turning his head towards the door.<p>

Batman lifted his head to the air and sniffed, an action that looked completely out of character for Bruce. "Yes."

"So, what's the plan? Are we going to get out of here or are we going to burn alive?"

Robin swung back around to face him but saw that Batman was nowhere in sight. "Could you just respond for once!" he sighed while running a hand through his hair, and running to catch up.

Robin eventually found Batman in the front room and stood behind the dark shadow of his mentor. Flames were engulfing the main entrance, its colors dancing as it spread across the ground toward them. Batman turned in one swift movement and walked leisurely back the way they had come. "Cover your face with your cape and don't inhale anything. There should be one other door they used to use for loading storage material, near the back."

"Okay. But don't you think we should hurry?" Robin asked, looking straight forward while they walked through each turn of the halls.

When he received no reply, he looked to his left and realized that his adoptive father had disappeared. _No surprise there._

The duo met up again at the opposite end of the building after running through many twists and turns, all the while trying to avoid the smoke overhead. The smoke that was currently covering the ceiling of the room they were in. The garage door before them hadn't been used in a long time, and they could only pray that it would still open.

The younger of the two ran forward to examine the closed lock on the left side of the room. The lock was rusted in place. Robin tried pulling on it, but it wouldn't budge.

He checked his yellow utility belt to see if he had any explosive disks. He did, but he only had two, and Batman had none. They would have to use them sparingly. Robin handed one him and held the other in his right hand.

They both stepped back as much as they could, but slightly less than they needed. The wall behind them was on fire, after all. Batman lined up his aim at the door and silently counted to three in his head. _1...2...3!_

The explosion was huge, and was far larger than it should have been. Batman had managed to cover himself from it in time (thanks to his handy-dandy cape) but Robin wasn't so lucky. The small teen was pressed up against the wall on his left, out cold. When the explosives had gone off, he had been a little bit too close. Fire was inching towards him by the second, and the impact between him and the ground had caused blood to ooze out of the back of his head and his temple.

_Oh shit._


	3. Smooth Jazz

_Oh shit._

Batman quickly strode over to where Robin lay and checked for a pulse, just to make sure it wasn't _too _bad. It was there and steady, but that didn't change the fact that he was still hurt. He picked him up by sliding his hands under Robin's torso and supported his head as he held him. Blood from the boy's temple leaked onto his gloved hands, but he ignored it and briskly jogged out the new hole in the wall.

Batman plucked a remote control from a side pocket on his utility belt and pressed the red button at the top. He then slipped it back into his belt as the Batmobile approached from the mouth of the alley. He thought that it was too narrow for_ just_ a second, but it eventually got its way through. It would be a pain to back out though.

He first laid Robin across the back seat and then got in the driver's seat and pulled the door shut. As he started to back out, he realized just how stressed he was. Maybe...

No. That was not something for the Dark Knight to do. But... Robin was asleep. No one would have to know. Before he changed his mind, he reached out to the radio and turned on the radio to jazz. A piano riff by Duke Ellington boomed out of the speakers. _Now that's better._

Not even five seconds into the song, he got a call from Alfred. The butler's face appeared on the screen. Which meant he could see Batman, could hear Batman, could hear what Batman was listening to...

"HOLY PHONE CALL ALFRED!" he screamed as he turned off the music.

Fortunately, his scream had cut off what Alfred had heard so he had no idea what happened. "Sir... have you been taking your English lessons from Master Richard lately?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Where is he, by the way?" Alfred asked. Normally the boy would be in the passenger seat, telling him about his newest word.

"Explosion. He's hurt."

"Will I need to call Miss Leslie?"

"Sure, I suppose he could use it."

"And what of the Penguin, sir?"

"After I drop Robin off, I'm going after him."

"I'll be waiting at the cave."

The transmission was cut and silence filled the car - though Batman didn't dare to touch the stereo again.


	4. Mysterious Packet

Batman pulled off the second exit on the highway, a couple of miles from the manor. It lead to a part of town that has been long since abandoned, and now belonged to the poorest of the Gotham's inhabitants. Ahead were the ruins of an old school, long since bombed by the Joker. All that remained of the place was the grass sports field. It's so strange that- being so close to a wealthy area- it had never been fixed.

Slowing down, Batman pressed a small, barely noticeable black button on the dash. A large panel of the field pulled off the ground, and lifted high into the air. Below it was a ramp leading down into a tunnel. Before speeding into it, he looked back at his adoptive son. "Hang in there Dick, we're almost home."

Batman drove into the cave about five minutes later, already racing to get his cowl off and to get Robin medical attention. Leslie and Alfred stood at attention, hands clasped behind their back, all tools sterilized and ready to work.

Bruce brought Dick into his arms and carried him to the table that sat in the middle of the medical-bay, where he set him down gently. He walked into the next room and straight to a huge computer monitor, trying to get information on Penguin's whereabouts.

After about a half hour, Alfred approached him with a silver tray in hand. He gingerly set it down on the space next to the keyboard. "How is he?" Bruce asked, not taking his eyes off the computer.

"Just fine, sir. Miss Leslie is working on stitching up some of the deeper cuts."

"Good."

Alfred took that as his cue to leave, and began to walk away when he bumped into the back of Bruce's chair, causing a small packet of folded papers to fall from his back pocket. "What's that?" Bruce asked, his head whipping around.

"Nothing Master Bruce." he said quickly- _too _quickly.

However suspicious he was, Bruce didn't want to pry. So he opted for one question rather than seven. "Will it affect any of us negatively?" Bruce sighed.

"No, Master Bruce."

"Then you are free to leave. But if anything happens, I'll find out."

"Yes, I know."


	5. Strange Migration

_45 Minutes Later_

Leslie approached Bruce from the med- bay, still pulling her latex gloves from her hands. Once there she put a hand on Bruce's shoulder to announce her presence, even though she was sure he already knew. "Any news?" he asked monotonously.

"He's doing fine. Should be better in a day or so."

Bruce simply nodded and mumbled something under his breath, so quiet that she only caught every other word.

_Bird, tracking, migration, warehouse._

"What are you planning?" she thought.

* * *

><p>"Lately in Gotham: mass amounts of birds are migrating to town- out of season. Many believe that this may be connected to the strange amounts of food being stolen. In other news, Snooki has just giv-"At that Bruce turned off the television.<p>

_Got it._


	6. Three Plans

**Batcave, 20 Minutes Later**

"So," Bruce thought. "Penguin said in the warehouse that he was targeting Gotham Academy. Most likely sometime soon, and it's also apparent that he is bringing in major flocks of birds for his operation. Once he has the bird, he's headed towards Star City."

By then it was obvious what he had to do. Or at least what he _thought_ he had to do. Go to Gotham Academy and patrol that area as well as track where the stolen food was being sent out and where it will be from.

Right? Wrong. Penguin was tricking him, it was all a trap. He should've known. But, unfortunately, he didn't.

So instead of sitting in the Batcave to take care of Robin until it was actually safe, he pressed the same small place on his utility belt. The Batmobile drove itself up to him, Batman jumped inside, and he was gone. Just like that.

**Meanwhile, in Wayne Manor**

Alfred paced across the kitchen tiles while he thought over his most recent _project_. It had merely been a small psychology experiment, but had escalated into a- what could you call it?- yes, an obsession. He wasn't exactly ready to show his work to Bruce, and wasn't sure if he ever would be. The time wasn't right, and if either subject found out about this task, it would be ruined.

No. It's just not time.

**Currently, at Penguin's Stakeout**

"When does he get here? I already laid out all the clues! Why hasn't he left?!" Penguin groaned from his spot outside the cave entrance.

He had already spent half an hour in the bushes of an old abandoned soccer field. Spider webs littered his coat and leaves sank to the bottom of his boots, but this was the most necessary part of the plan. Didn't mean he had to like it though.

"Give it some time, boss. We may not even have the right place." said the only level-headed baddy there.

"Oh just shut up! I'm tired of your complaining!"

"But you're the only one here that's comp-"

"What did I _just _say?" Penguin yelled.


	7. Not What You Think

Batman went out the Batcave through the usual exit/entrance. The wheels of his vehicle twisted and turned as he traveled down the narrow tunnel. It was only dimly lit, and the walls to his left and right were black, and the ceiling and floor were yellow. It was almost dangerous, the way it was painted. Once he was coming around a corner, it would be hard to see the next turn due to the way the colors blended. But Batman -and Bruce- were expert drivers, so it was no problem.

While approaching, he pressed a yellow button on his stick-shift that caused the far door to open. The panel connecting him to the real world widened painfully slow, and he had to let up on the gas for two or three seconds to avoid crashing.

Upon leaving the small space, a barely audible cling could be heard as something hit his windshield. It would have been of interest if it weren't for the cascade of dirt hitting the hood of the car. _I really have to get that fixed._

* * *

><p><strong>Two minutes ago, in Penguin's Hideout<strong>

Penguin loaded a small gun with Joker's latest invention. It had been smuggled throughout Arkham Asylum to be given to the next to escape. Which, surprisingly, had been Penguin.

This gun was not to hurt Batman. Not directly, anyway. While he strapped a pair of binoculars onto his eyes, he handed the gun to his right hand man. "Don't screw this up."

Just as the Batmobile began to emerge from the gaping hole from the ground, he motioned to the goon and said man began to aim. Just one shot... "Dammit!" Penguin swore.

"You- you- good for nothing! How could you!"

"What happened?!" the man asked frantically.

"It hit the windshield!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure! Just look at what you've done!"

He focused the binoculars on the device again. But to his surprise, it got caught in a layer of dirt falling down. Soon thereafter, the small avalanche of waste fell down into the tunnel and- "We're in!"


	8. Door Failure

**EVERYONE. If you would like to be completely caught up, please at least skim through the previous chapters of this story. For an explanation as to why, go check my profile. Sorry.**

* * *

><p>Leaving his home behind, Bruce sped out to first save the unsuspecting bird at Gotham Academy, then to catch Penguin. He hadn't expected this particular mission to have taken so much of his time, as it has almost been three, maybe four hours.<p>

With a flash his whole dashboard lit up, and that same metallic voice rang throughout. "The exit closure failed."

The message droned on without end, red flashing on the outermost tip of the steering wheel. "Received." He replied.

It cut short and all lights turned off in unison. "Call Alfred Pennyworth."

The advanced technology responded to his commands and the old man's face was soon splayed out on the small screen. "Is there a problem, sir?" he said, looking up from something.

"The computer just told me that the door didn't close all the way. Could you go check?"

"Yes, of course sir."

"Good."

Alfred pushed away from the desk where he was working and also checking in on Dick. He walked across the room to a panel on the wall, which he opened to reveal what seemed like an array of different lights and levers (for they tired of having only buttons). Pulling on one of them, a door next to the medical bay pulled up. Inside was- no surprise- another car.

But this wasn't just any car- This was Alfred's car, therefore making it the most badass automobile to ever bless a road with its presence. Getting inside, he started it up and made his way to the exit and into the tunnel.

Being older and not as fast a driver as Bruce, Alfred went a little slower to avoid crashing into a wall. "Darn road."

Now he was almost at the end of the long stretch, having only two turns left. On the last turn, he caught a glimpse of movement very close to his car. Once he fully righted the vehicle towards the tunnel door, the unknown presence was announced.

A very small ball of metal had been unfolding to hold up the door. With dirt surrounding it and even on top of it, it was an amazing feat to see such a tiny item pull itself towards the ceiling. Any second now and it would be almost half way done with the process. Through the space that it had managed to push away, Alfred could see shadows approaching- no doubt to finish the job.

Luckily, Alfred had spent enough time with Bruce to gain a sense of quick thinking. With the road towards the Batcave being so small, it was a one lane drive. Meaning that a car could temporarily block it. His foot stepped down onto the gas pedal and the car was speeding forward once again. He didn't have as much time to build up as much speed as he would have liked, though it did let Alfred leave uninjured.

Doing his best to pry the car door open, he slipped out and stepped back to see what had been done. His car blocked the way in and they would have to get it out before entering. Now came the (possibly) worst part. The old man ran as fast as his legs could take him, his rubber soles slapping against the concrete. _Funny, this seems so much shorter when I'm not on foot._

As soon as he arrived back at the cave, he turned to the aforementioned wall panel and typed a series of codes. His fingers only stopped when the reassuring click of every door in the vicinity locking themselves. Even then, there was much work to be done. Alerting Bruce, checking video feeds, and possibly moving Robin upstairs.

Pulling up a window on the computer, he began to call Bruce. Never before had he felt so relieved yet so frightened when he heard the man on the other line pick up.


	9. Obstacle

"Sir, we have a problem."

Bruce visibly tensed hearing the distress in Alfred's voice, and also seeing such a haggard look about him. It was completely out of character.

"The door- It didn't close. That's because someone is trying to _open _it!" he continued.

"Do you know who?"

"No, all I saw was shadows. I crashed the car into the door and ran back to lock everything. You need to come back immediately!"

"Sit tight, I'll be right there." And he ended the conversation.

He pulled the binoculars from his face and deposited them back into the glove box. _Looks like I'm cutting this stake-out short. _

All Penguin and the others heard was a crash. But what they _saw_ was more of interest. The front wheel of a vehicle smashed the device and tore its way through the opening. The hood peeked out from under the wreckage. His helpers were around him, jaws dropped. Penguin looked back and forth between the two closest to him before stomping one foot into the ground. "Well… What are you waiting for?! We're on a schedule! Get the car out of the way!"

The two quickly ran forward and were soon joined by the others. Their combined efforts were able to move the obstacle fairly quickly. Though that didn't stop Penguin from continuously yelling at them for 'taking too long'.

Penguin brought a walkie-talkie up to his lips. "It's clear, bring it in!"


End file.
